Keyboard number pad and Phone number pad

I don't know if it's true, but way back when I was in High School, My business machines teacher told us that the phone company did it that way to slow us down when dialing on a phone pad. Back when people used 10 key adding machines as much as we use computer keyboards now, we got really fast with them. So fast that if we dialed a touch tone keypad at the same speed it confused the computers of the day. So, to slow us down to 70s computer speeds, they put the numbers in the opposite direction. Like I said, it was what my business machines teacher heard and passed on to us. It's as good an explanation as any... as probably as suspect as any other. If it makes any difference, it was also the same explanation that was given on the "Imponderables" series of books.

Oh, I never noticed that! Some calculators also have the keypad upside down, I could never figure out why. Maybe it is easier for math people who use it a lot. Maybe it has something to do with the access, the ones in the top are more often used, or something. I totally don't know, actually!

You have a very good point here. I have never paid any attention to it. I think it would be better if the numbers were aligned the same though.